The First Father's Day
by siouxkhan1958
Summary: A scene in the den between Frank and the judge leads to the use of a special word.


The First Father's Day

by MKH26

"For the record, Milt, this is probably - no, definitely - the most cocamamie plan you've ever concocted!" Frank said, standing in Hardcastle's den.

"Duly noted." Hardcase waved him off.

"You do realize Mark's gonna' be at his wits' end, thinking you're missing..."

"Ah, the kid takes advantage of me, he'll probably..."

"HE takes advantage of YOU?!" Frank stopped in his tracks as he paced back and forth. "Have you looked in a mirror lately, Hardcastle?"

The judge turned on his friend.

"Yes, McCormick takes advantage of me on our agreement!"

"Milt, Mark is a good kid. If Claudia and I could ever have had kids, Mark would be..."

"Then take him!" the judge offered.

"You don't mean that." Frank said quietly.

Milt hesitated a moment, rubbing his brow with his hand.

"No, I don't." he admitted quietly with a sigh.

"Then why are you doing this?" Frank asked, a hand on the judge's shoulder.

"You can't understand." the judge waved Frank off. "Don't worry, it's a perfect plan. The kid'll get scared and appreciate me when I turn up."

"Mark's gonna' HATE you." Frank countered. "You DO realize he respects you, he looks up to you, Milt, you're a father figure to him!" Frank went on. "You pull a dumb stunt like this, he's gonna' be so scared he may never look at you the same way ever again. Is that what you want?"

"Look, I'll only be gone for a night or two, he'll probably never even miss me." Hardcastle surmised.

"I'm talkin' to a brick wall..." Frank muttered to himself. "Are you kidding?" Frank went on. "Have you not noticed how the kid sticks to you like glue? When was the last time he went out on his own, without you as a shadow? Or him as yours?"

Hardcastle shrugged. "Trust me, the kid doesn't even want to BE here half the time."

"Milt, open your eyes!" Frank shouted, grabbing his friend by the shoulders to stop and whirl him around.

"I'm SERIOUS here, Milt, I'm begging you, PLEASE don't do this! Mark will only pay for it in the end! Can't you see how much he loves you, dammit?!"

That stopped Hardcastle in his tracks. "He loves me?" he asked wide-eyed.

"Milt, he's been asking me what I think he should get you for Father's Day. FATHER'S DAY, Milt! Not Slave Owner's Day." Frank admitted.

"Father's Day?" Hardcastle asked, frowning. "What the hell for? He shouldn't think of me as his dad!"

"Well, too late and tough shit!" Frank yelled back. "Admit it, YOU think of him as YOUR son! Not a replacement for Tommy. But a SON." Frank shook Hardcastle's shoulders. "You can't stand there and tell me you've never thought of him that way. This is his first Father's Day with a REAL dad, Milt. DON'T ruin it for him."

Frank stepped back, afraid he might have overstepped the boundary of friendship.

"Milt, fair warning. If you so much as hurt that kid's feelings by playing such a dirty trick by disappearing on Mark, you'll have to answer to Claudia and me. You know how much we love that kid? What we wouldn't give to have him as our OWN son in OUR lives? Do you know how lucky you are to be given another chance for a son to love you and you to love him?!" Frank ended, yelling and pointing his finger at Milt. Screw boundaries.

Hardcastle held up his hands as though to surrender.

"Okay, okay! I give up! You made your point!" he shouted back.

Milton C. Hardcastle didn't like to be proven wrong.

Ever.

"Father's Day, huh?" he asked quietly, scratching his head. "The kid really thinks of me that way?"

"Don't you ever feel that from him, Milt?" Frank asked, shaking his head. "How he worries about you when you're out playing the Lone Ranger and Tonto? How he literally beams when you're happy about something? Hell, he about shows up with a tissue every time you sneeze! Milt, the kid'll never admit it, but anyone who's not blind can tell Mark wants to be your son. And even more than that, he wants you to be his father. His REAL father, not the bum that ran out on him and ruined his childhood." Frank's voice drifted off.

After a minute or two of silence, Hardcase sighed heavily.

"How'd you get to be so smart?" Hardcastle tilted his head and peered at his longtime friend.

Frankd chuckled. "Learned everything I know about life from Claudia, my friend."

"Wise woman. Okay, I promise, no disappearing act. You know I wouldn't hurt the kid like that. I just never realized... or maybe I did but just didn't want to admit it to myself. Never wanted to open my heart again."

Frank sighed. "Thank you, Milt. If not for me, then for Mark."

"One thing, though." Hardcastle noted.

"What's that?" Frank asked, cautiously.

"Tell the kid I could use a new basketball. Think our nightly one-on-one has worn out the old round ball." Hardcastle's face broke out into a grin as Frank tossed back his head and laughed.

"Consider the hint passed on to Mark. To your son." Frank agreed.

"My son." Hardcastle turned the thought ove in his head. "That actually sounds good..."

"Hey, Judge!" Mark came bounding into the den, as if on cue, holding the old, worn basketball. "Hi, Frank! Feel like a little one-on-one?" he grinned, breathless. Hardcastle winked slyly at Frank.

"You got it, son." Hardcastle spoke up.

Yep. Son.

He definitely liked the sound of that...

The End


End file.
